Contact

News

Two New Pompeii Articles

Graduate student Allison Emmerson has published two articles recently on the necropolis outside of one of the main gates at Pompeii that are part of the PARP:PS field project run by Steven Ellis from our department.

As one of Pompeii’s most heavily trafficked gates, the Porta Stabia must have been a desirable and high-status location for burial, and the roads around the gate must have been lined with densely packed tombs. Presently, four tombs stand outside the Porta Stabia: the two well-known semicircular benches (schola tombs) just outside the gate, and two lesser-known tomb podia located to the south, hidden behind an embankment and concealed under overgrowth. This situation does not reflect the ancient reality. This article repopulates the burial landscape around the Porta Stabia by examining the standing tombs as well as the excavation reports of tombs that were reburied following their discovery, concluding that the extensive necropolis around the Porta Stabia is not something that must be imagined; rather, it is well-documented and worthy of a place in future scholarship.

Junian Latins, former slaves who had been freed informally and therefore had not received Roman citizenship along with their manumission, existed in large numbers in both Italy and the provinces. Nevertheless, their lives and the ways in which their status differed from that of other freedmen remain little understood. This paper identifies fourteen tombs at Pompeii as belonging to Junian Latins, a group that has not previously been identified among the thousands of personal names preserved in the city's epigraphic record. The tombs suggest that Junian Latinity had an effect on social status: Junian Latins who were promoted to citizenship after manumission apparently held a higher status than other freedmen. Junian Latinity might also have impacted marriage patterns, with Junian Latins more likely to marry outside of their familiae. The distinction between Junian Latins and other freedmen at Pompeii points to the complexity of the Roman social system and ads a new dimension to the study of the Roman sub-elite.